Orioles' High-A affiliate steals new minor league stolen base record

The Aberdeen IronBirds' season came to a close this past Sunday with a 4-3 win over the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. The IronBirds scored all of their runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 4-2 lead and never looked back. The game itself was exciting enough but there was history on the line and the IronBirds made sure to cement their place in the record books. 

Needing just one more stolen base to set the MiLB record for stolen bases in a single season, the Birds were off and running right from the start. Leandro Arias, the Orioles’ #21 prospect, made the first attempt at the record-breaking theft. After singling in the second he was cut down moments later trying to steal second base. 

In the third inning, 2024 draftee Ethan Anderson again tried to give the IronBirds the record. He singled and drove in Vance Honeycutt to give the team their fourth run, but was also thrown out trying to steal second base. Continuing the run of 2024 draftees, Austin Overn, who was batting when Anderson was thrown out, reached base on a walk. 

Overn, who is known as a speedster, wasted no time and took off for second base on the first pitch to Ryan Stafford. The BlueClaws catcher, Luis Caicuto, had no chance as Overn got a great jump and stole the base easily to give the IronBirds the record. Aron Estrada stole third base in the fourth inning and Overn swiped third in the fifth to extend the new record to an amazing 363 team steals in a minor league season. 

Orioles' minor leaguers spent a lot of time stealing bases in 2024

The IronBirds team record truly was a team effort as 25 different players recorded at least one stolen base. Enrique Bradfield Jr. led the team with 59 steals in 81 games before he was promoted to AA Bowie. Even Creed Willems had a steal for Aberdeen this season, just the third of his career in his fourth professional season. 

The New York baseball Giants hold the current MLB record with 347 steals in 1911. Aberdeen averaged 2.75 steals per game over their 132 game schedule. That average extended over a major league 162 game schedule would be approximately 445 steals in a season. In other words, the IronBirds stole bases at a blistering pace. 

The team with the second most steals in all of baseball this season was the Baltimore Orioles' Low-A franchise, the Delmarva Shorebirds, who finished with 307 steals, 56 shy of the IronBirds. The Orioles have infused their system with speed and those players will look to run all the way to Baltimore.